RIP Bea Franco, Kerouac's "Terry, the Mexican Girl"

As you may have noticed by my previous posts, at the moment I'm totally involved in reading Mañana Means Heaven by Tim Z. Hernandez, the story of Bea Franco or "Terry, the Mexican Girl" of Jack Karouac's On the Road fame. Sadly, today I received the following notification via email:

Fresno, CA. (August 19, 2013) — Beatrice Kozera, a.k.a. Bea Franco, a.k.a. “Terry” of legendary American author Jack Kerouac’s magnum opus, On the Road, died of natural causes on the morning of Thursday August 15, 2013 in Lakewood, California.

In her own words, her life was “nothing special.” Which might be true, if you do not count that her role in the author's career was important enough to include her name in over twenty biographies on Kerouac, and that she had amassed a literary cult following for the past 56 years, all unbeknownst to her and her family. In late autumn of 1947 she met the young Kerouac in Selma, California where she was living in the farmworker labor camps with her family. The two struck up a relationship that lasted fifteen days, which he chronicled in his book On the Road— a novel that sparked the counterculture generation and was recently made into a movie featuring Brazilian actress Alice Braga in the role of “Terry.” What has been largely unknown is that after six years of rejections it was the story of “Terry, the Mexican Girl” that opened the doors for the publication of Kerouac’s novel. The timing of her death was unfortunate, considering that later this month a book based on her life and written with her participation, titled, Mañana Means Heaven by author Tim Z. Hernandez is being released. “My mother hung on just long enough to see and hold the book in her hands,” her son Albert commented.

Beatrice Kozera was born Beatrice Renteria in Los Angeles, California in 1920, and spent most of the early part of her life following the seasons with her family, picking cotton, grapes and other crops. She eventually settled down in Fresno, California with her husband LeRoy Kozera, who in her own words, “Was a good man who gave me a good life.” She is survived by her son Albert Franco and her daughter Patricia Leonard, along with several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The news of Bea Franco's death has been picked up nationally and internationally. She was 92 years old.

Reading Lots! CarnieFun, Tim Z. Hernandez, Elliott Mackle & Summer Lovin'

Carniepunk Anthology
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Gallery Books

Come one, come all! The Carniepunk Midway promises you every thrill and chill a traveling carnival can provide. But fear not! Urban fantasy’s biggest stars are here to guide you through this strange and dangerous world. . . .

RACHEL CAINE’s vampires aren’t child’s play, as a naïve teen discovers when her heart leads her far, far astray in “The Cold Girl.” With “Parlor Tricks,” JENNIFER ESTEP pits Gin Blanco, the Elemental Assassin, against the Wheel of Death and some dangerously creepy clowns. SEANAN McGUIRE narrates a poignant, ethereal tale of a mysterious carnival that returns to a dangerous town after twenty years in “Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open, Lonely Sea.” KEVIN HEARNE’s Iron Druid and his wisecracking Irish wolfhound discover in “The Demon Barker of Wheat Street” that the impossibly wholesome sounding Kansas Wheat Festival is actually not a healthy place to hang out. With an eerie, unpredictable twist, ROB THURMAN reveals the fate of a psychopath stalking two young carnies in “Painted Love.”

I'm enjoying this anthology. It has a long list of stories by accomplished urban fantasy authors. Those stories so far are a combination of standalone and short stories related to already established series with carnivals as the central focus, however, they couldn't be more different. Clowns, you ask? I am about half-way through the book and so far no clowns, but the setting gives this anthology a certain dark flavor that I am enjoying.

Mañana Means Heaven by Tim Z. Hernandez
Release Date: August 29, 2013
The University of Arizona Press

In this love story of impossible odds, award-winning writer Tim Z. Hernandez weaves a rich and visionary portrait of Bea Franco, the real woman behind famed American author Jack Kerouac’s “The Mexican Girl.” Set against an ominous backdrop of California in the 1940s, deep in the agricultural heartland of the Great Central Valley, Mañana Means Heaven reveals the desperate circumstances that lead a married woman to an illicit affair with an aspiring young writer traveling across the United States.

When they meet, Franco is a migrant farmworker with two children and a failing marriage, living with poverty, violence, and the looming threat of deportation, while the “college boy” yearns to one day make a name for himself in the writing world. The significance of their romance poses vastly different possibilities and consequences.

Mañana Means Heaven deftly combines fact and fiction to pull back the veil on one of literature’s most mysterious and evocative characters. Inspired by Franco’s love letters to Kerouac and Hernandez’s interviews with Franco, now in her nineties and living in relative obscurity, the novel brings this lost gem of a story out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

This is a book that got my attention at "The Mexican Girl" and Jack Kerouac. It combines fact and fiction, but I must admit that my curiosity about "Terry's" character or as it turns out, Bea Franco, got the best of me as soon as I read the book summary. So far it is more than worth the read!

Welcome Home, Captain Harding by Elliott Mackle
Series: Captain Harding, #3
Release Date: September 1, 2013
Lethe Press Books

Returning to California after eighteen terrifying months in Vietnam, Captain Joe Harding is assigned a trio of duties: assisting his fatherly former commander at base operations, spying on misbehaving bomber pilots and organizing an air show designed to counter the anti-war fever sweeping the state.

Meanwhile, his much younger tennis partner has enrolled at Cal Berkeley, enmeshed himself in pacifist politics and resumed his role as Joe's lover. When a playmate from Wheelus, a one-time fighter pilot now flying for TWA, shows up at Joe's house in Merced, the three men must navigate the joys and difficulties inherent in creating their own sort of ''welcome home.''

Continuing the adventures and misadventures begun in Elliott Mackle's acclaimed Captain Harding series Joe and his fellow officers and men are up against a hot-dogging, risk-taking aircraft commander, a pair of drug-abusing co-pilots and a married administrator with a taste for sexual blackmail. When a Broadway show causes a death in the family, a test flight goes terribly wrong and Joe's honor and patriotism are questioned, he must fight to clear his name and rebuild his imperiled career.

Welcome Home, Captain Harding is the last book in the Captain Harding trilogy by Elliott Mackle. I absolutely love this character, and so far I've loved the first and second books! I'm really enjoying this last book, Joe is still Joe. *g* But, I'm also a bit sad that Joe's adventures are coming to an end.
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What else have I been reading?

I've yet to move on from my summer reading and picked up Summer Lovin' with Chrissy Munder, Clare London, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, and Lou Harper (Pink Squirrel Press, 2013). This is an M/M Romance collection with five novellas. So far I really enjoyed Chrissy Munder's "Summer Hire" and loved "Lost and Found on Lindisfarne" by JL Merrow. I'm reading this one slowly and in between other books. . . stretching out the summer fun!

Summer is here, and the loving is easy! Slake your thirst for romance with Summer Lovin'—an anthology for lazy days and summer sunshine.

Go skinny-dipping in a disused quarry. Hang out with the boys in the band. Meet a bad boy made good, and one with a shy smile that hides a dark secret. Or maybe get your heart pillaged by a Viking re-enactor.

With gentle humor, hot sauce and a hefty scoop of romance, enjoy a quintet of sultry stories of men loving men from Clare London, Chrissy Munder, JL Merrow, Josephine Myles, and Lou Harper.

The mercury's not the only thing that's rising!

What are you reading?

Highlighting: Mañana Means Heaven by Tim Z. Hernandez

Mañana Means Heaven by Tim Z. Hernandez
Publication Date: August 29, 2013
Camino del Sol: A Latina and Latino Literary Series
The University of Arizona Press


Tim Z. Hernandez lifts the veil on one of literature’s most mysterious and evocative characters.

Readers across the world know Jack Kerouac and his famous novel, On the Road, but most don’t know that prior to its publication, Kerouac received countless rejections. It wasn’t until an excerpt titled “The Mexican Girl” was published in The Paris Review, earned rave reviews, and found its way into the Best American Short Stories of 1956 anthology that the novel was accepted for publication.

Given the relevance that “The Mexican Girl” had in Kerouac’s career, little has been known about the real “Terry,” actually Bea Franco. In Mañana Means Heaven, acclaimed writer Tim Z. Hernandez pulls Bea from out of the shadows and presents a rich and visionary novel portraying the woman behind the scenes in the novel that defined a generation. As author Paul Maher says, “Hernandez offers a dazzling offshoot from the oft-explored road story that is Kerouac’s.”

Set against an ominous backdrop of California in the 1940s, deep in the agricultural heartland of the Great Central Valley, Hernandez’s novel reveals the desperate circumstances that led a married woman to an illicit affair with an aspiring young writer traveling across the United States. When they meet, Franco is a migrant farmworker with two children and a failing marriage, living with poverty, violence, and the looming threat of deportation, while the “college boy” yearns to one day make a name for himself in the writing world. The significance of their romance poses vastly different possibilities and consequences.

Franco was sought out by dozens of Kerouac and Beat scholars, but none could find her. According to one, “finding Bea Franco is like trying to find the ghost of a needle in haystack.”

But 55 years after publication of Kerouac’s novel, Hernandez discovered Franco alive, and living in relative obscurity only one mile from his own home in Fresno, California. “It was an alignment, really, that I was able to find her. It just so happened that I knew where to look and who to ask. I have since been fortunate to develop a strong relationship with her and her family."

Based on Franco’s love letters to Kerouac and Hernandez’s interviews with Franco, the novel Mañana Means Heaven brings this lost gem of a story into the spotlight. Featuring a foreword and afterword chronicling Hernandez’s personal quest to find Franco, this novel deftly combines fact and fiction to lift the veil on a character who has lived far too long in the shadows.

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Tim Z. Hernandez is a poet, novelist, and performance artist whose awards include the 2006 American Book Award, the 2010 Premio Aztlán Prize in Fiction, and the James Duval Phelan Award from the San Francisco Foundation. In 2011 the Poetry Society of America named him one of sixteen New American Poets. He holds a BA from Naropa University and an MFA from Bennington College and is the author of the novel Breathing, In Dust, as well as three collections of poetry, including the recently released Natural Takeover of Small Things. Learn more at his website, www.timzhernandez.com.

Review: Guardian Demon (Guardian Series #8) by Meljean Brook

After a terrifying encounter in Hell destroys her trust in Michael, the Guardian’s powerful leader, former detective Andromeda Taylor is ready to call it quits as one of the angelic warriors and resume her human life again. But when demonic forces threaten her closest friends and she uncovers a terrifying plot devised by Lucifer, Taylor is thrown straight into Michael’s path again…

To defeat Lucifer, Michael needs every Guardian by his side—and he needs Taylor more than any other. The detective is the key to keeping his own demonic side at bay, and Michael will do anything to protect her and keep her close. And when Taylor manifests a deadly power, her Gift might tip the scales in the endless war between Heaven and Hell…or it might destroy them both with a single touch.

Guardian Demon is the last book in Meljean Brook's excellent paranormal romance series. This is a great read and an excellent ending to the series as a whole.

The introduction to Guardian Demon hooks the reader for what is to come. It begins as Andromeda Taylor attempts to save Michael from Hell after he's released from the frozen fields. Michael has become a ravenous, raging dragon whose hunger for consuming demons is never-ending. Andy becomes bait while Khavi waits to trap him, but once Michael comes to her, he shifts into a two-legged, dragon-like monster with minimal humanity left. She saves him, but Khavi's plans backfire and the end result is damaging to both Andy and Michael in unforeseen and unexpected ways. Andy finally gets Michael out of her head, but she loses any trust she had left for Michael, and Michael, well. . . he loses more than Andromeda's trust.

During the beginning of Part I the action continues, however, there are sections that are heavy with narration and internal thoughts. Everything is highly relevant to the story, Andromeda's and Michael's feelings and the methodical description of individual powers used by the already introduced Guardians. The result is an uneven pacing that slows down the story in this section. Additionally, Brook takes her time setting up the building blocks to develop the rather controversial relationship between Andromeda and Michael. In this case, the slow buildup works because otherwise the romance would not have been believable.

But, why controversial? Well, Andromeda believes that Michael initially raped her mind by invading it without her permission and she resents the heck out of him for doing so. What happened down in Hell when she saved Michael sealed her fear and lack of trust. Andromeda has so many grievances against Michael, and rightly so, that for a long while I didn't see how he would talk his way into her good graces. Michael and Khavi both messed up rather badly. So yes, building a believable relationship is slow, so don't expect quick love, or the insta-hotness found in some of the other installments. At least I didn't find that to be the case here... it was redemption first, trust second, love and hotness last. And there is hotness! Michael is as sexy as I expected and Andromeda is his equal. There is building sexual tension and then they burn up the sheets, the walls, the... hmm...

But what about the overall storyarc? In my review of Demon Marked, I questioned why some Guardians were compromising their principals, and particularly Khavi's manipulative role. Well, Brook does not disappoint, reasons behind their actions are answered. The plot in Guardian Demon is almost like a crime mystery puzzle that must be solved before a deadline. Andromeda Taylor's detective skills come into play. She plays a big role with Michael assisting, the rest of the Guardians acting as backup, and Lillith directing the whole show. Andromeda's own powers are rather unique, and boy to they come in handy! That part of the book is excellent and well-woven in with the romance. It truly lives up to expectations.

Everyone plays a key role in the end. And just so you all know? Even characters introduced in novellas play a role in the end, so read those novellas, otherwise you may not know the characters, their powers or why they are there!

I couldn't think of how Brook would end this series, but the end to the romance in Guardian Demon is beautiful and just about perfect, and the end to the overall storyarc is excellent! I'm going to miss this complex and sexy paranormal romance series. It has been such an enormous pleasure gobbling up all the books. Now I look forward to rereading it again slowly and enjoying it all over again.

Category: Paranormal Romance
Series: Guardian Series
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/ August 6, 2013
Grade: B+

Visit Meljean Brook here.

Series:
The Guardians, Novella .5 (Hotspell Anthology)
Demon Angel, Book 1
Paradise, Novella 1.5 (Wild Thing Anthology)
Demon Moon, Book 2
Demon Night, Book 3
The Guardians, Novella 3.5 (First Blood Anthology)
Demon Bound, Book 4
Demon Forged, Book 5
Blind Spot, Novella 5.5 (Must Love Hellhounds)
Demon Blood, Book 6
Demon Marked, Book 7
The Guardians 7.5, Novella (The Angels of Darkness)
Guardian Demon, Book 8

Review: Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews

Magic Rises is a winner! That is it. We waited two years for the continuation of this series and it did not disappoint. The Ilona Andrews writing team took the best aspects of the series and came up with a cohesive and emotional installment.

By now fans know that the Kate Daniels series is urban fantasy with a fantastic central character, excellent writing, ancient mythology-based plots, and some darn good romance. Add an integral supporting cast of characters and Kate's incremental emotional growth, and you have the makes for a winning series that will hook any reader. In Magic Rises, Kate's love for Curran and the Pack, her willingness to go all the way for them, both as Consort and friend, is tested, as is their loyalty and love for her.

It all begins with an invitation from three powerful European Packs. The deal? Curran is to act as arbitrator between two clans fighting over the birth of twin babies fathered by two shifters from two different packs. Additionally, a few members of his Pack are invited to come along to protect the babies' mother who is under a death threat from her father's powerful clan. The incentive? In return for acting as arbitrators and protectors, Curran's Pack would receive the magic panacea needed to prevent young shifters from going loup and losing their lives. The invitation is received just as Julie's best friend and twin sister, young wolf shifters, go loup with not enough panacea to help both girls.

Even as they all realize that the European Packs' invitation may all be a trap for Curran and his Pack, the decision to accept is a no brainer. They have to go. Curran and Kate choose a small posse which includes their best and most loyal Pack members and set off on a ship that takes them across the ocean and into a neutral location, an island off the Greek coast. What awaits them are surprises, revelations, controversy, multiple conflicts, and pain.

As in most of the best installments of this series, Magic Rises doesn't only keep readers from sleeping until that last line is read because of the non-stop, explosive action and the plot's twisty turns, but it also keeps them emotionally involved with the characters. This installment in particular has a few of highly emotional "oh-my-god-I-need-a-tissue" moments -- some very sad, and others of the aww variety. That's not to say that Kate's kickass attitude, snark, dry humor, and the witty dialog that make the books in these series such great reads are not there in spades.

Mythology is again an integral part of the story, but it does not overwhelm the plot. The new characters introduced in this story, both friends and foes, are fantastic, as is the Pack's involvement in a highly sensitive political situation. Kate and Curran are dealing with deadly, untrustworthy shifters, and danger is on the high end of the scale. It lurks like a dark cloud for everyone, but particularly for Kate who seems to find enemies at every turn. There are villains and then, there are villains. There are hidden motives and it all becomes a dance to get past the obvious and discover what lies beneath the layers.

Guarding the pregnant Desandra is not a picnic. To understand her, you need to know that Desandra was basically sold to the highest bidder by her father, twice, with the understanding that her first born would inherit a key section of his territory. Now that she is pregnant by both shifters, her father wants to kill her. Desandra is petulant and spoiled, but her personality goes through an incremental transformation that makes her a great character. But she is not the most memorable new character, look to the villains for that distinction.

The Andrews team does a magnificent job of integrating plot points from Magic Rises with revelations that impact the overall storyarc, Kate's relationship with Curran and the Pack, and her emotional evolution -- one of my favorite aspects of this series. If you think that because Kate and Curran are already a romantic couple, the conflict between them is over, think again. There is a little bit of everything: hotness, love, uncertainty, jealousy, trust issues, and more. I will say this: Kate must really love the Pack! What restraint. . .

I tried my best to make this a spoiler-free review. The best I can say is: read Magic Rises! So far, this is my favorite urban fantasy read of the year. Besides the fact that this is such a great read, I do believe that this installment is the foundation for the second half of this ten book series. It's going to be fantastic. If you're already a fan, you'll love this book. If you haven't begun reading the series, what are you waiting for?

Category: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, Book 6
Publisher/Release Date: Penguin/Ace, July 30, 2013 - Kindle Edition
Grade: A

Visit Ilona Andrews here.
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Favorite Kate scene:

"Your daughter is a grown woman," Curran said. "She can speak for herself."
"Until she belongs to another man, she is mine to do with as I please." Jarek said.
That does it. I leaned forward. "Hey you. Either put your claws where your mouth is or shut the fuck up. Nobody wants to hear you yip."
Jarek's eyes bulged. Green flared in the depths of his irises, an insane hot flame. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.
"Yes, just like that," I told him. "Less talking, more quiet."

Series:
Magic Bites, Book 1
Magic Burns, Book 2
Magic Strikes, Book 3
Magic Mourns, Novella (Must Love Hellhounds Anthology)
Magic Bleeds, Book 4
Magic Dreams, Novella (Hexed Anthology)
Magic Slays, Book 5

July 2013 Recap & Minis: Spencer, Howard, Balogh

I don't know what it is about the summer and the heat, but it almost always makes me crave romance. That's what happened in July. I hit the books and ended up reading some romances that have been lingering in my shelves from early 2013, along with some oldies but goodies.

Here they are:

Total books read: 15
Contemporary Romance: 6
Historical Romance: 6
Paranormal Romance/Steampunk: 1
Urban Fantasy: 1
M/M Romance: 1

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews: (Review to come)
The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh: A-
Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney #4) by Julie James: (Review to come)
To Die For (Blair Mallory #1) by Linda Howard: B

I read this book by Linda Howard as my August Internet Book Club read. This is rather surprising for a Linda Howard book. It's humorous and light with a heroine that comes off as petulant and somewhat superficial. She's a cheerleader who applies cheerleading rules to her life even as an adult. For me, Blair's thought process turns out to be both hilarious and frustrating, but overall, Blair is more than she appears to be on the surface. The romance is hot with amusing dialogue to help it along. If there is something I find tired in this romance it is Blair's tendency to sleep with Wyatt while telling him she doesn't want a relationship -- the old "body betrayal" plot device. The story is narrated from Blair's point of view in the first person, but it is very well done so that I did not miss Wyatt's point of view at all. I think that both his thoughts and feelings are well conveyed by Howard. I also like the mystery, probably because of all the craziness that goes on in Blair and Wyatt's relationship contribute to it. Overall, a solid, light, fun, and enjoyable romance suspense.

He's The One with Linda Lael Miller, Jill Shalvis, Lucy Monroe, Kate Angell, Cat Johnson: B-
Fire & Frost with Jessica Simms, Carolyn Crane & Meljean Brook: B-
True to the Law by Jo Goodman: C+
Twice Loved by Lavyrle Spencer: Grade C+

This is one of the three books I read for the TBR Challenge during the month of July, but decided against reviewing it. I've loved every single book I've read by Lavyrle Spencer so far. I still love her gorgeous writing style and how she develops characters and a story -- all are evident in Twice Loved. On the positive side, I absolutely love the setting and atmosphere in this novel. It is set in a small fishing village, and the place and people who inhabit it come alive in this novel.

Unfortunately for me, the romance is a triangle, and I mean one of those triangles where the woman who finds herself in the middle knows who she loves but doesn't have the gumption to make the right decision. She ends up hurting everyone, including herself and her child, so that by the time the happy ever after comes along I really did not want her to have it! I wanted the "hero" to walk away from her, and that's not the way a romance works, right? This romance is brimming with betrayal, yearning, love, angst, anger, and passion. I could not help but feel terrible for both men and the child caught up in the middle of it all. Just as I could not help resenting her for the lack of backbone that destroyed whatever connection I could have felt. In this case, it may be that it is a case of personal preference. If as a reader you don't mind triangles, you may want to read this book by the amazing Spencer. However, for me personally, this was a beautifully written, but painful read.

On the Clock by Chris Owen: C+
No Strings Attached (Barefoot Williams #2) by Kate Angell: C
Kentucky Home by Sarah Title: C
Beach Beginnings (Beach House No. 9 #.5) by Christie Ridgeway: C
The Counterfeit Betrothal by Mary Balogh: C

I really enjoyed the wit and humor found in the romance between Lady Sophia Bryant and Lord Francis Sutton. They fake a betrothal to reunite Sophie's estranged parents. Sophie and Francis grew up together and have a history of arguing and hostility. Sophie is funny and Francis teases her to death. I love the way they play each other and end up together. This is a light and fun pair. On the other hand the romance between Sophie's parents is seriously painful. It's the type of romance I usually love to read, but in this case the incredible lack of communication between these two adults, the resulting misunderstandings and lack of trust made me question that love would triumph or last. Thank goodness for Sophie and Francis whose romance made this book an average read for me. Otherwise, I think The Counterfeit Betrothal would have been my first DNF (did not finish) by Balogh.

The Suitor (The Survivor's Club #1.5) by Mary Balogh: C

Reread:
Years by Lavyrle Spencer : A

Years is one of my favorite Lavyrle Spencer books. I reread it for the TBR Challenge, but at the last minute decided that as a reread it did not qualify -- a shame because I really wanted to review this book in all its glory! I previously wrote a mini that doesn't do this book justice in my humble opinion. Anyway, if you haven't read it and would like to pick up a gorgeous May/December historical romance set in the Middle America during WWI, I highly recommend Years. The title refers to more than the age disparity between the main couple, and as in all Spencer books, there is depth to the plot, gorgeous characterization, and amazing detail that enhance both setting and atmosphere.

My favorite books of the month were: Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews, my last read of the month, The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh, and Love Irresistibly (FBI/US Attorney #4) by Julie James.

Poetry: "Septipus" by Chip Livingston

For my brother N.

You are celebrating your birthday today in Montevideo, Uruguay with friends and family. I miss you. This poem from Chip Livington's poetry volume Crow-Blue, Crow-Black reminded me of you.

"Septipus"*
(for the seven-armed Uruguayan)

1. One to hold the mate; to stop a taxi; to extend an index finger to push up loose-eared eyeglasses;
2. One to crook the thermos, pour the water, and redirect cooked yerba with a silver bombilla; to light a cigarette;
3. One to puff the Rojo; to gesture "WWWHat a pity!!";
4. One to fine tune antennae and radiate little summer shocks; to tune the radio to María Rita, tango electronica, or The Cranberries;
5. One to good-guard new amigos from uneven stones and otras cosas peligrosas, bothers and malaria; to offer the growing moon, fireworks;
6. One to scribble a waitress a phone number; to correct a stress from an Italian accent;
7. One of rare perspective to photograph, spell out poetry, convert incantations, cast ordinary objects artesanal. 

Together these brown arms shoulder the mochila,
sign shipping orders, protect candles, smudge a room
with incense; they envelop children in abrazos.

Embrace me also in these seven alchemical arms.
Make the tambores jealous. Take my hand as we
walk along the rambla becoming a new metal. 

Besos!


*Copyright © 2012 Chip Livingston

Minis: Christie Ridgway, Jessica Sims, Carolyn Crane, Meljean Brook, Mary Balogh, Chris Owen

Since this last week's theme was "Fun Beach Reads," here are some short reads you can't go wrong with:

Beach House Beginnings (Beach House No.9, #5) by Christie Ridgway(HQN - Kindle Ed. $1.59) is a short novella that is just that, the introductory novella to Christie Ridgway's Beach House No. 9 contemporary romance series. It is quick, hot and just a bit angsty, with a too quick romance and a lusty couple who find a "happily ever after" years after they meet on the same island beach. She was in love with his cousin and has spent years agonizing over his death and drowning of his cousin and leading a stale life, while he spent those same years going forward and becoming a success just as his much admired cousin would have wanted him to. Coincidences abound, but they're attributed to the love woo woo that come from Beach House No. 9 where this couple meets again. This is cute, short, and a great beach read, even as everything happens too quickly. I like the premise, however, and am thinking of giving the first book of the series a try. Grade: C

If you like UF/PNR, there is always Fire and Frost with Jessica Sims, Conjuring Max by Carolyn Crane, Meljean Brook (Amazon Digital, Kindle Ed. $2.99). It begins with Speed Mating by Jessica Sims, a new-to-me author. I enjoyed this short piece about a female lyger (lion/tiger) shifter about to into heat. She goes to her sexy alpha for advice and decides to look for a mate/father for her cub through speed dating. What I liked the most about this is interesting world-building with shifters is that the female can choose her mate. Yes... she has a choice! The story is also hot and sexy too.

Then we have Conjuring Max by Carolyn Crane, a story set in the world of her Mr. Real series. This story works as a bit of a prequel and gives the reader an idea of how it all begins. I liked both characters, Max and Veronica, and the way magic and technology is integrated in a not-too-distant past. I really like how it ended.

Set in her Iron Seas world, my favorite piece in this three piece collection is Wrecked by Meljean Brook. Brook manages to add to her world-building by introducing new intriguing characters and interesting usage of the machines developed by the Horde, and also satisfactorily develops a believable romance with a happily ever after. Grade: B-

The Suitor by Mary Balogh (Dell - Kindle Ed. $1.99) is a very short prequel to The Arrangement (August 27, 2013), Balogh's next installment in The Survivor's Club series. Balogh uses The Suitor and Viscount Darleigh's reactions to drive him way and begin his romance (except of The Arrangement included), but this story is about Julian and Phillipa.

This is a couple who fell in love when Phillipa was only 16 and Julian a young, good for nothing, rakehell. Two years later she's of age and her family is actively trying to find her a husband. Julian is ready to make his move, but her parents have another man in mind. How will Julian and Phillipa find their happily ever after? The best I can say is that this is a too short, average read that provides an hour and a half of reading pleasure, but where all falls into place easily enough. As prequels go, we'll have to wait and see how Darleigh is affected by the events that take place in this novella. Recommended for those reading Balogh's new series or as a quick standalone historical romance treat without much of a conflict. Grade: C

If you're in the mood for some M/M Romance, there is always On the Clock by Chris Owen (Torquere Press, July 2013 - Kindle Ed. $4.99). Owen is a favorite M/M Romance writer and I couldn't pass up the release of this unread novella. Detective Strang finds himself investigating the murder of a lonely man with poor social skills and no friends. During the investigation he meets police officer Gallagher who first makes a move on him and then volunteers to help with the case. They flirt, hot steamy scenes ensue, and although Strang's focus becomes a bit clouded by his attraction to the handsome Gallagher, he is bent on catching the murderer, particularly since he feels a certain connection with the victim. This is an enjoyable, but too quick story, with some really hot scenes and a very good police investigative plot. My only niggle is that I wish it had been longer for better insight into the characters. Grade: C+

Review: He's The One with Linda Lael Miller, Jill Shalvis, Lucy Monroe, Kate Angell, Cat Johnson

He's The One is a contemporary romance anthology with short, sweet, sexy stories about finding him, the one. This book is perfect for the beach or a vacation because you can read one short story, put the book down, go have a good time, and get back to another story later on. Not all the stories and authors worked for me personally, but there's something here for everyone.

I have two personal favorites beginning with No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service by Kate Angell. Angell scores high with me by focusing her sexy romance on one couple from her already established Barefoot Williams world. I found this short story to be truly romantic, high on the sensuality scale, with a wonderful happy ending and an absolutely gorgeous summer atmosphere that really fits this anthology.

My other favorite is Fish Out of Water by Cat Johnson. Cat Johnson's contribution won me at "hello," or as soon as the handsome but rather nerdy and brilliant English professor was introduced. I love how passions run deep and wild once he meets his "cowgirl." She sees more under his pink polo shirt and lack of fishing/camping experience, and he sees more than the "cowgirl" trappings as they take each other for the ride of their lives. This is a sexy summer read that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Less enthralling, yet still good enough for me, is Jill Shalvis' Captivated. In this novella, the married protagonists meet at their vacation cottage under highly unusual circumstances just after she serves him with divorce papers. This is a "hot, hot" signature Shalvis piece with chemistry between the couple, great atmosphere and a beautiful summer setting. On the minus side, there is a forced quality to the set up or unusual set of circumstances and the ending is a bit "over-the-top."

Seducing Tabby by Lucy Monroe comes in on the average side with a story about a gorgeous Englishman who sets his rather possessive sights on a curvaceous beauty who believes men only approach her to gather information about her classically gorgeous sister. This story begins with a great premise, but it doesn't quite deliver. It has a nice, slow, non-sexual seduction that I enjoyed, with sexual tension used to build up the relationship. However, for some reason, his quick claims of "love" feel more calculated than passionate, and the end is rushed and rather predictable.

The one short story that didn't really work for me is Batteries Not Required by Linda Lael Miller. In this romance a woman returns to a town where she lived years ago for a very short period of time and as soon as her feet hit the ground she meets the old boyfriend she ran away from. Things get moving and shaking between the two in the blink of an eye despite the rather superficial misunderstanding that kept them apart for years. Years when they "thought about each other" every so often. This romance and its quick, improbable happy ending felt wrong from the beginning and fell flat for me in the end.

As you can see, I liked some novellas more than others in the He's The One anthology, but the one winning factor they all have in common is the summer theme. I like that the settings for the romances are different, yet they all fit the theme perfectly. Our couples find love in a diner on a boardwalk, while on a fishing trip to a lake, stranded on a beautiful Mexican beach, discovering each other in a small coastal town, and meeting again in the beautiful west. All of these places help give this anthology that wonderful feel of sunshine, warm summer breezes and well... summer love.

Category: Contemporary Romance/Anthology
Series: None
Publisher: Kensington Books
Source: Kensington
Grade: B-

Review: No Strings Attached (Barefoot Williams #2) by Kate Angell

Balmy ocean breezes. . .sweet coconut oil. . .glistening tanned bodies. There's no better place for romantic sparks to fly than at the beach.

As a professional volleyball player, Dune Cates attracts scores of pretty women who flock to his side. But only one has managed to get under his skin--Sophie Saunders. Unlike the skimpily-clad beach groupies, Sophie marches to a beat all her own. And though she's afraid of the surf, burns in the sun, has two left feet, that doesn't stop her from trying every daring sport available on the boardwalk. Dune knows Sophie spells trouble, and he should keep his distance, especially since he's a no-strings-attached kind of guy. But he can't ignore an overwhelming instinct to protect her. And with the promise of ice cream sandwiches, merry-go-round rides and dreamy sunsets, it's only a matter of time before Dune gives in to the temptation of Sophie's soft lips.

Love is always sweeter in the summer.

As with No Tan Lines, the first book of the Barefoot Williams series, Kate Angell again excels when it comes to setting and atmosphere. No Strings Attached is a quick, light, cute, beach read. For me, the best part of Angell's contemporary read is that she made me want to be on that boardwalk playing beach volleyball, eating ice cream cones, and enjoying some summer fun!

The romances, yes, there are two of them again, are okay, but again not on the sweeping side of the scale. The central romance between Sophie Saunders and Dune Cates is light, sweet and lacks real conflict. Sophie suffers from multiple phobias and Dune helps her get over them, which is cute at the beginning, but gets kind of tiring after a while. The same goes for Dune's protectiveness and rather unreal, unending, patience and sweet understanding -- those scenes with the hamsters pushed me over the edge as I found them to be over-the-top sugary sweet.

On the other hand, the romance between Dune's volleyball partner Mac and Jenna Cates is fraught with conflict and fun. Mac is a womanizer, a boy/man who has a tough time filtering what comes out of his mouth. Jenna is sharp-tongued, sarcastic, and not the type of woman to really put up with Mac. They seem not to like each other and argue. I like how she makes him work for a relationship. Mac is an obnoxious womanizer and a pain in the ass, but unlike Dune who at times seems more like a protective brother to Sophie than a lover, Mac is fun and falls passionately in love with Jenna. Yes, Mac has some of the best lines in this book. "He gives good fun."

Ms. Angell's No Strings Attached was a mixed bag for me. It's strange. I highly enjoy the atmosphere she creates in these contemporary romances and love Barefoot William as a setting, but there is something missing for me when it comes to her romances. Yet, I gobbled up this book in one sitting, just like I would a sweet ice cream cone. So do I recommend it? I recommend it for those of you looking for a quick, sweet, summery romance.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Series: Barefoot Williams
Publisher/Release Date: Kensington/ April 30, 2013
Grade: C

Reviews:
No Tan Lines, #1

LGBTQ: Upcoming & Recent Releases

There are SO many upcoming LGBTQ releases or books already released that I want to read! Some of the books on my ever growing, greedy list are already in my Kindle and others will be as soon as they release. Here are just a few:

UPCOMING:

RED CAPS by Steve Berman (Lethe Press, October 2013)

Red Caps might be a rock band. Or they might be something more sinister, a fey source of sounds that are but the backdrop to thrills and misadventures. These thirteen stories provide readers jaded with the traditional, Old World fairy tales and tempts them with new stories that will engage bored readers from their suburban ennui. Closets are waiting to be explored. Escape from work camp leads to a dangerous encounter on a wet road. That high school year book is magical and might be mocking you...or helping you find love. And isn't love one of the central premises of the fairy tale? These teenage boys and girls need not fear that their love has no worth, because Steve Berman has written for them princesses who love maidens and adorkable students who have wondrous and smart boyfriends. Readers can be assured that, if the tale does not end happy, it ends most memorably.

This is a new gay Young Adult speculative fiction collection written by Steve Berman. Berman wrote Vintage: A Ghost Story, a book that is loved by many and considered a classic LGBTQ YA read. I'm really looking forward to reading this one!

FOOLISH HEARTS: NEW GAY FICTION by Timothy J. Lambert & R. D. Cochrane (Cleis Press, January 14, 2014)

Okay, I don't have a blurb for Foolish Hearts yet. But, I couldn't wait to highlight it because this is a sequel to one of my favorite anthologies, Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction. I have been stalking Becky Cochrane's blog ever since I found out this anthology was on the planning stages. Well, it's going to happen. There's a cover, a release date, and finally, a list of the contributing authors:

Tony Calvert, David Puterbaugh, Trebor Healey, Steven Reigns, Erik Orrantia, Paul Lisicky, Jeffrey Ricker, Taylor McGrath, ‘Nathan Burgoine, Greg Herren, Timothy Forry, Felice Picano, Mark G. Harris, Craig Cotter, Rob Williams, Timothy J. Lambert, Andrew Holleran.

I am really psyched about this anthology! It's all about the lurv...

ALREADY IN MY KINDLE:

PACIFIC RIMMING by Tom Cardamone (Chelsea Station Editions, March 2013)

Lambda Literary finalist Tom Cardamone’s novella, Pacific Rimming, is a dazzling narrative of obsession.

Set in New York City in the late 1990s, a young gay man wanders from bed to bed, creating a life of drug use and sexual conquest to avoid emotional intimacy, his desire focused exclusively on Asian men.

Cardamone is a favorite speculative fiction writer, but with this book he goes into a totally different direction. There is a review in amazon that calls it "filthy/gorgeous" and another one at the Lambda Literary site that makes it sound like an outstanding read. Just what I have come to expect from Cardamone.

CRACK SHOT, WESTERN EROTICA by Dale Chase (Bold Strokes, Books, April 15, 2013)

Men of the Wild West indulge in far more than drinking and gunplay. Cattle drovers, gamblers, miners, outlaws, and the lawmen who chase them rub up against each other in towns where law is thin and a saloon occupies every corner. How could they not indulge in sex? This collection of Western erotica brings to life the intensely masculine Old West in stories such as “Brazen,” in which a man indulging in sexual gratification beside his campfire welcomes a stranger to further indulge; “Thyself A Man,” in which a preacher attempting to save souls in a gold rush camp loses his own through sexual indulgence; “Gandy Dancer,” which shows building the transcontinental railroad involves more than laying track; “Crack Shot,” in which a lawman cannot resist his prisoner; and “Picture Show,” in which the past comes alive as two former lawmen who were once lovers reunite on a silent movie set.

Lovely Ms. Chase whose western gay erotica I absolutely adore! Of course I picked up this collection immediately. I'm so glad I'll have so many of her great stories in one volume and hope to find new favorites to reread over and over again. :D

THE DUST OF WONDERLAND by Lee Thomas (Lethe Press, June 3, 2013)

A panicked call from his ex-wife summons Ken Nicholson back to New Orleans, where his son has been attacked and left for dead. While his child's life hangs in the balance, Ken endures visions connected to a terrifying time from his past. As a teenager, he witnessed the brutal deaths of several young men, an act orchestrated by his benefactor, Travis Brugier. Following the shocking spectacle, Brugier kills himself before Ken's eyes. Now, decades later, someone wants Ken to remember, wants Ken to return to those violent days.

With the lives of his estranged family and his lover, David, threatened, Ken has no choice but to follow his nightmares back to their origin. There he will battle a corrupt and powerful being that believes every life is a story to be captured and rewritten, a being that doesn't believe in happy endings.

Welcome back to Wonderland.

My expectations of a Lee Thomas novel or novella are rather high at this point. He is such a talented writer. The Dust of Wonderland is Lee Thomas's latest novel and I'm hoping to sink my teeth into it soon, soon, soon!

Also added to my Kindle: What Comes Around by Jameson Currier (Chelsea Station Editions, 2012), Love, Christopher Street: Reflections of New York City ed. by Thomas Keith (Vantage Point, 2012) , and On the Clock by Chris Owen (Torquere Press, July 17, 2013).

Oldies But Goodies: Dorothy Eden, where do I begin?

I love reading romance during the summer, so I'm happy to report that I'm finally back on the old romance reading horse. I've read a few these past few weeks, True to the Law by Jo Goodman, Kentucky Home by Sarah Title, The Notorious Rake and The Counterfeit Bride by Mary Balogh, Twice Loved and Years (a favorite and a reread) by Lavyrle Spencer, Beach House Beginnings (Beach House No.9) by Christie Ridgway, and Love Irresistibly by Julie James. Yes, I am on a romance reading tear and hope to continue!

As you can see there are four older romance titles in my list of books above. I love mixing older titles and classic authors with newer talent and/or the latest releases. I find that it keeps my romance reading fresh while I catch up with well... the "history" of romance, compare different writing styles and experience how tropes within romance have evolved throughout the years. And, I love discovering great books and/or authors whose works I missed along the way. This method of mixing older titles with new releases has been working for me for years.

Although I cut my romance reading teeth reading works by authors like Rosemary Rogers, Woodwiss and Kinsale, Nora Roberts, Krentz, McNaught, Deveraux, and Sandra Brown, I didn't read works by Lavyrle Spencer or Pamela Morsi until 2010! And I still haven't picked up anything by Maggie Osborne and many others. You see what I mean? I've missed so much goodness. This is one reason I love that so many of the older classics, no longer available or hard to find in print, are now available or being made available in digital format. So the following announcement immediately snagged my attention:

Open Road Media just released digital editions or ebooks of 14 novels by the author Dorothy Eden. I looked up the author's biography and wondered if this was another case of missing out on more of that goodness I mention above, but this time in the gothic romance, romance suspense, and historical fiction categories. Click on link to see complete list of titles.

Dorothy Eden (1912–1982) was the internationally acclaimed author of more than forty bestselling gothic, romantic suspense, and historical novels. Born in New Zealand, where she attended school and worked as a legal secretary, she moved to London in 1954 and continued to write prolifically. Eden’s novels are known for their suspenseful, spellbinding plots, finely drawn characters, authentic historical detail, and often a hint of spookiness. Her novel of pioneer life in Australia, The Vines of Yarrabee, spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list. Her gothic historical novels Ravenscroft, Darkwater, and Winterwood are considered by critics and readers alike to be classics of the genre.

I've never read a book by Dorothy Eden. Have you?

Where do I begin exploring? If you have read Dorothy Eden's works, which book do you recommend? If you haven't, where would you begin?

Review: Dust Devil on a Quiet Street by Richard Bowes

I was introduced to Richard Bowes's writing by way of a short story. Later I read and really enjoyed his adult fairy tale book The Queen, The Cambion, and Seven Others. His short story "Grierson at the Pain Clinic" in the Wilde Stories 2013 anthology was so unique and creative that I went hunting for his Lambda Literary Award-winning novel Minions of the Moon. So what is it that about Richard Bowes' works that grabbed me? I love the realism he utilizes to set up his fantasy. His latest fantasy novel Dust Devil on a Quiet Street has that quality in spades.

As a child I went to bed worried that the me who fell asleep would disappear in the dark and not be remembered by the me who woke up. I've never wholly lost that. It's one reason I write these stories.

Bowes's tale of dust devils, local ghosts and small gods begins in Greenwich Village on the evening of 9/11 right after the Towers fell. Richard's friend and old lover Megs insists that as a result of the tragedy, a rift opened and ghosts from past and present disasters are coming through and flooding the City. She can see them, and decides to search for the ghost of Richard and Megs' old lover Geoff. As this tale of ghosts, friendships, and lovers lost progresses, the reality of what happened on that beautiful, tragic September morning slowly creeps in as Bowes imbues the atmosphere and his characters with a sense of dislocation and disorientation so spot on that ghosts, dust devils and witch girls seamlessly become part of that reality.

As the story of Richard, Megs and Geoff continues, Bowes plays with time by relating events taking place in the present and connecting them to the past, taking the reader for a fantastic ride through a Village's past history full of the real and the supernatural. In the second chapter we learn what drives our main character and narrator, Richard. Supernatural events surrounding Richard's encounter with the eerie Witch Girls are weaved in with his college years, new friendships, sexual escapades, and a significant early childhood trauma that leads to a long battle with self-destructive behavior and drug addiction.

When I opened my eyes they were gone. I understood that what I'd done and what had been done to me were the misfortunes that come to a Witch Boy trying in all the wrong ways to be human.

The supernatural encounters continue as the reader is introduced to lovers, friends, writers, sexual escapades, and in the process is whisked back in time to a City that lived a long time ago. That is most evident in the Ray Light and Judy Finch incident where the narrator's strong presence is felt on the periphery while Bowes transports the reader to the 1960's in a mesmerizing story of young runaways, hippy life, hustlers, drugs, sex, psychic powers, and murder. Bowes brilliantly weaves the Ray Light incident throughout the whole book so that it blends in with the "memoir" style of this novel. But as I said before, he also plays with time, so that this and other events that begin long ago are effectively connected to events, or small moments, taking place in the present. It all works out quite well.

I particularly love how Bowes incorporates events that begin with the present as the setting but flow in and out of the past. In relating the death of New York City, Bowes turns to Richard's present and the ghost of a past lover Hal Dizeg, dubbed the Downtown Ganymede, who was legendary in the Village for his brilliant beauty and wealthy sugar daddies. Later they were involved as lovers in a relationship fueled by drugs that ended with Hal telling Richard: "I don't think you're really here, and you don't think I'm really human." But this chapter is about Richard's present and his nostalgia for the past. He is singularly harsh on a modern Manhattan full of yuppified New Yorkers, yet, not unexpectedly, Richard is always toughest on himself. The proof is in the pudding when returning as a ghost Hal leaves our aging narrator with these words: "It wasn't a soul you lacked, it was courage and timing, darling. You didn't know when it was your moment to die."

Dust Devil on a Quiet Street was more of an experience than I expected. It is a fantasy book full of those fantastic supernatural events some of us love, and yet, it is also much more. Bowes inserts himself as the central character, establishing a thorough connection with the reader while relating the highs and lows of life, such as they are or were, so that this book is an intricate, masterful blend of fantasy and life-long experiences gained during a lifetime of living in a New York City he knows and loves. Bowes is so good at using this device that there are times when the reader must wonder where reality ends and fiction begins. Highly recommended.

Category: LGBT/Fantasy
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Lethe Press/June 21, 2013
Grade: A-

Visit Richard Bowes here.
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Favorite quote: (Chapter 11, Page 158)

"Writing is the place where I can be as bold and compassionate and wise as I choose." 

TBR Review: The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh

The theme for this month's TBR Challenge is "the classics." A classic author, book, and/or category. I read a few books for the challenge this month. Years (May/December romance) and  Twice Loved (triangle) by Lavyrle Spencer, and The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh (the rake). For me in this case both the authors and themes are classic -- and in the case of Years and The Notorious Rake, the books are also considered classics by many. In the end, however, I chose to review The Notorious Rake by Balogh only because Years by Spencer was a re-read for me (there's a mini here somewhere).

The Notorious Rake (Waite #3)

The Lady and the Libertine

Lord Edmund Waite was everything that Lady Mary Gregg despised in a man. He was lewd, lascivious, mocking—the most notorious and successful rake in the realm. Happily, Mary had nothing to fear from this lord of libertines. A bluestocking like her could never tempt a man whose taste ran to pretty playthings for his pleasures.

How startled Mary was to find herself the object of Lord Waite's determined desires. But even more surprising was her reaction to his shocking advances. How could she remain a lady with this man who knew so well how to make her feel like a woman?

The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh was originally published in 1992 by Signet and rereleased by Dell in an omnibus this year. It is a 224 page-long character driven Regency historical romance novel, and the last of the Waite trilogy. The first two books are The Trysting Place and The Counterfeit Betrothal. My first impression? After all this time I'm still amazed at the depth of characterization Balogh achieves and the amount of information she packs in so short a novel.

The story begins at Vauxhall with Lady Mary Mornington and Lord Edmund Waite surprised to be included in the same party. She's a not so attractive bluestocking, and he's a disgraced,unacceptable man. Mary, however, accepts his offer to stroll around the gardens out of courtesy. Unfortunately, an electric storm catches them unaware, and even after they find shelter Mary's terrified reaction to electric storms drives Edmund to comfort her. But nothing works until the two are wrapped around each other and end up having an unexpectedly passionate sexual encounter. Still in shock, Mary spends an unforgettable night of passion with Edmund. At least it becomes unforgettable to Edmund, who begins a relentless, and almost stalkerish, pursuit of Mary the very next morning.

He wanted to have her to start his days and as dessert to his luncheon, as a mid-afternoon exercise, as an appetizer before whatever entertainment the evening had to offer, and as a nighttime lullaby and a middle-of-the-night drug.

This novel has the perfect title. Edmund is crude, vulgar, a womanizer who doesn't hide who he is or what he has become. He admits to everything he is accused of by the ton: killing his brother and mother, jilting his fiancée for another woman and getting jilted himself, whoring, drinking, gambling. There's no end to what Edmund has done or won't admit to, he's upfront about all of it when he pursues Mary and hopes she will become his mistress. In Edmund, Balogh creates a self-loathing, unlikable hero. I need to check if there is a more self-loathing one in her repertoire, but Edmund is definitely at the top of the list.

Balogh likes to throw this curve around in her romances once in a while, I know, and I tend to love her hero-centric novels because she makes them work. You see, the thing about Edmund is that he kind of takes the place of the heroine in this romance. He is the one with the angsty past. He's the one with layers to peel behind the mask he presents to the world. Yet, Edmund believes that there is nothing to him and Mary buys it hook, line and sinker. Mary is an independent, strong woman in her own right. She doesn't just dislike Edmund, she despises the superficial wastrel she believes him to be. Mary feels she owes him for rescuing her at Vauxhall but is flabbergasted when she realizes that he is not going to go away easily. She is rude, judgmental, and hurtful to Edmund, but who can blame her. I mean, initially Edmund is obnoxious, insulting, and truthfully those first three weeks when he pursues her in London turn into a debacle when it comes to courting.

Of course there is more to Edmund, and Balogh goes on to peel those layers. It takes a lot to get underneath because this man's belief that he has nothing to offer is ingrained and goes deep. And Mary? With Mary it is a case of her "body" betraying her attraction while she fights her dislike of the man, and yes, she tells Edmund so. Mary is an intellectual, strong and sharp, but I would say that women's intuition fails her -- particularly after she learns more about him.

The Notorious Rake is not one of Balogh's uber romantic novels with the innocent child bride or a woman willing to sacrifice herself for love. It is not one of her novels where the hero is a respectable man of character. Yet, I found this romance to be better than that. It is intense and passionate with conflicted protagonists that are flawed, frustrating, and redeemable. Edmund is a memorable character, and although Mary's "body betrayed her" a few times here and there, she is a ruthlessly frank woman and I couldn't help but like that about her. I can see why so many Balogh fans love this novel.

Category: Historical Romance/Regency
Series: Waite #3
Publisher/Release Date: Dell/April 30, 2013
Grade: A-

Kentucky Home (Southern Comfort #1) by Sarah Title

I was in the mood for a nice, comfy contemporary western romance and Kentucky Home by Sarah Title seemed like the answer to me. I ended up with mixed impressions about Sarah Title's debut novel.

It begins with Luke Carson and Mallory Thomson. They meet while she is married to a doctor with an ego the size of Manhattan, a man who has been psychologically abusing Mal for years and ends up physically assaulting her when he finds out that Mal is looking for an apartment to move out of their condo. This is when Mallory finally decides to really get away from her husband Michael and goes to her friend Luke for help. Luke's brilliant "plan" is to hide her at his family home, the Wild Rose Farm and Stables in Kentucky, until Mal can get her life together. Unfortunately, Luke's plan places Mal in an awkward position as her new "start" in life begins with they agree to lie and show up in Kentucky pretending to be a newly engaged couple.

The awkwardness continues as once there Luke basically dumps Mal on his family and takes off the next day for places unknown, supposedly for one week, and leaves her to deal with a less than welcoming family: cranky father Carl, headstrong sister Holly, sweet housekeeper Miss Libby, and Luke's reclusive, widower brother Keith. The Carson family is not happy about Luke's dumping and Mal feels less than welcomed. She wants to help around the farm, but Mal is a city girl unaccustomed to farm life and makes mistakes that do not impress these folks Not a good beginning.

The Carson family's "down home Kentucky hospitality" is really lacking in the beginning. This family was quite rude to Mal. I mean, even taking into consideration the fact that Luke dumped her on them, she was supposed to be his fiancé. A bit of courtesy? Yes? Thank goodness for Ms. Libby. She at least tried to make the poor woman feel welcomed. Mal herself didn't help things and I wondered about her social skills more than once during the first part of the book, but she was traumatized by all the changes so to me her awkwardness was understandable.

As opposed to my initial impressions when I read the introduction, Keith is the male protagonist of this piece, not Luke. I admit that bit through me for a bit -- Luke is a charmer and I liked his point of view in that initial introductive section. But let's move on to his brother Keith. Keith has been a widower for over 3 years and he is still basically in a deep depressive hole. He is still grieving, deeply, and refuses to socialize or seems unable to move forward. This is an unhappy man. But Mal wakes him up! His brother's fiancé. And Mal, who is not yet over the trauma of her abusive marriage to Michael, begins lusting after Keith the second she meets him. Not a good thing. Hostility takes over when sexual frustration and guilt ensue on both sides. Back and forth.

I don't know. The lies cause unnecessary grief. Then there is Mal's traumatic marriage to Michael. She is separated, but still married and quite traumatized by years of abusive behavior that began in college, progressed through the years Michael went through medical school, began his successful practice and to the present. This was a long, established relationship and marriage. Those years left Mallory feeling like a rag, her self-esteem shot to hell! And, there is Keith who is obviously still grieving. This is an ambitious romance with some tough, challenging issues, yet, to me, it felt like a light read with many witty moments thrown in along with Mal's numerous crying jags and Keith's guilt over his lusty feelings because he was betraying his dead wife and his brother. Oh boy!

This is the reason I'm mixed up about this novel. I laughed. I couldn't help it. There are funny scenes involving a three-legged dog, Mel's horrible blond dye job with brown roots, and all the sneaking around Mal and Keith go through to get laid. After all, there is nothing wrong with wit and humor to lighten up the harshness of life. Keith falls for Mal like a two-ton truck and overcomes his grief. I like the way this part of the romance is executed. After loving and grieving for three years, he deserved a second chance at love.

Mal's issues on the other hand? Hmm... as far as I'm concerned Mal's trauma goes deep after what seems a lifetime of dealing with an abusive, narcissistic asshole. In this novel she begins to recuperate from that trauma and to get a sense of herself, but, BUT. It became obvious, to me at least, that she needed more time to find her own two feet before getting mixed up in another relationship and that didn't happen here. Mal is not allowed that time on her own, instead another man becomes the solution to the problem. Additionally, the resolution to the Mal/Michael situation is over the top and Mal's involvement, underwhelming. I understand that this is a romance, yet, I guess these days I expect a better executed resolution from a contemporary romance when it comes to issues like a woman (or a man) recuperating from an abusive marriage or any type of abuse for that matter.

Kentucky Home is a cute and light contemporary western romance. There is chemistry between the protagonists and the initial premise is good, if ambitious. Unfortunately, the author overreaches by introducing one too many heavy issues to contend with, and fails to execute on the one key issue that would have given this romance depth and the storyline, plausibility.

Category: Contemporary Romance/Western
Series: Southern Comfort, #1
Publisher/Release Date: Kensington Books/ April 13, 2013 - Kindle Edition
Grade: C

Highlight: Countdown City (Last Policeman Book II) by Ben H. Winters

There are just 74 days to go before a deadly asteroid collides with Earth, and Detective Hank Palace is out of a job. With the Concord police force operating under the auspices of the U.S. Justice Department, Hank's days of solving crimes are over...until a woman from his past begs for help finding her missing husband.

Brett Cavatone disappeared without a trace—an easy feat in a world with no phones, no cars, and no way to tell whether someone’s gone “bucket list” or just gone. With society falling to shambles, Hank pieces together what few clues he can, on a search that leads him from a college-campus-turned-anarchist-encampment to a crumbling coastal landscape where anti-immigrant militia fend off “impact zone” refugees.

The second novel in the critically acclaimed Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City presents a fascinating mystery set on brink of an apocalypse--and once again, Hank Palace confronts questions way beyond "whodunit." What do we as human beings owe to one another? And what does it mean to be civilized when civilization is collapsing all around you?

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters won the 2013 Edgar® Award for Best Paperback Original, the first book of the Last Policeman trilogy. Last year I read, and loved that book!  Countdown City is the second book of Ben H. Winter's pre-apocalyptic trilogy.

Hank Palace is one of the most unique protagonists to cross my reading path in a long while, and the imaginative, creative set of circumstances he faces in this series are more that just intriguing, they are fascinating. As you may well imagine, Countdown City has been in my must read list since last summer.  The time has come!

Release Date: July 16, 2013
Category: Science Fiction/Mystery
Publisher: Quirk Books

Reviews:
The Last Policeman, Book #1

Review: True to the Law by Jo Goodman

August 1889, Chicago: Cobb Bridger, private detective, is hired by Andrew Charley Mackey III of the wealthy Mackey Chicago family to find thief, Gertrude Morrow. The instructions are clear, "find her," inform Andrew Mackey of Ms. Morrow's whereabouts and hold her in place at all costs.

Cobb tracks Ms. True Morrow down to Bitter Springs, Wyoming where she has been hired as the new teacher. What he finds is a smart, beautiful woman dedicated to her work, one who doesn't hide her personal or employment histories with the Mackeys. She is not a runway. Cobb inserts himself into all aspects of Tru's life and begins the process of getting to know her. It's not a hard task as a mutual attraction is obvious from the first time they meet. Intimacy is not far behind as Cobb and Tru begin a tentative friendship that leads to an illicit affair. Soon Cobb begins to suspect that although at times True displays guilt or unusual reactions when her ex-employers are mentioned, she may not be a thief. But what other reason would Mackey have for tracking down the beautiful teacher?

True to the Law is a warm western historical romance with a small western town atmosphere and a romance between two people whose attraction quickly leads to the bedroom. Unfortunately, this couple lacks chemistry, both outside the bedroom and between the sheets. That surprised me because Goodman is usually great at building up sexual tension. They do, however, forge a connection through conversation, and a personal give and take that makes for a heartwarming relationship filled with humorous moments.

Although the romance falls on the average side of the spectrum, the western historical atmosphere is well established with great secondary and periphery characters that make up the town of Bitter Springs, Wyoming. This story doesn't involve cowboys or wild shootouts, instead it evolves around the mystery behind Tru's life as companion to the wealthy Mackey family matriarch, and what happened after the lady died to instigate a pursuit by the Mackey family.

Cobb's role as a detective working for the Mackeys ends at one point, but continues for the duration of the story after he accepts the position of town marshal. As his attraction grows, so does his protectiveness of Tru. The villain of this piece is easily identified and the mystery easily solved by the reader, so there is little thrill there. However, I enjoyed the purely fictional western climactic scene.

True to the Law is a stand-alone, however, the town of Bitter Springs and most of its residents are introduced in The Last Renegade, the first book in this western historical series by Jo Goodman. That book is a terrific read, so I recommend it as an optional first read.

For those of you who read The Last Renegade, secondary characters Rabbit and Finn are part of this story and again they steal every single scene where they appear! I love those boys. My favorite quote of this book is by Finn. He's at the school, pulls Priscilla's braid, and Ms. True Morrow asks him if he has anything to say to Priscilla. Here is his response:

"[...] Prissy, that pigtail is nuthin' but a temptation. And now that I heard you squeal, well, giving it a yank now and again is a thing that can't be resisted." He risked a glance at Miss Morrow. For reasons he did not entirely understand, she looked as if she going to choke on her spit. "That's all I got to say, ma'am."

True to the Law is a somewhat average romance with some great secondary characters and western atmosphere. I found myself enjoying the chemistry between the townspeople of Bitter Springs and the humor that permeates the pages of this romance despite the lack of chemistry between the main couple. This is not one of my favorite Goodman romances, but still, if you are a fan you might enjoy this installment in what I think of as her Bitter Springs series. I look forward to the next book, particularly if Rabbit and Finn are part of it.

Category: Historical Romance/Western
Series: Bitter Springs
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley/May 7, 2013
Grade: C+

Visit Jo Goodman here.

Series (related book):
The Last Renegade